Developments in automatic, semi-automatic, and other "repeater" firing mechanisms in modern firearms have led to the need for a cartridge feed system that will supply successive cartridges to the firing mechanism at a rate equal to the operating speed of the weapon. In the case of automatic and semi-automatic weapons, the feed rate can be substantial. Large capacity magazines have thus been developed which are capable of feeding cartridges successively to the firing mechanisms.
A typical form of cartridge magazine is the "clip"--a spring loaded case that is removably mounted to the firearm adjacent the firing mechanism. The spring mechanism within the clip is used to urge cartridges in a direction transverse to the cartridge lengths in succession from one or more columns to the firing mechanism. Each column is biased by one or more springs toward a single discharge end of the magazine. Such "clips" have been found to be reliable feed mechanisms, even for automatic weapons. A serious drawback, however, has been realized in loading the magazines with cartridges.
Many clips require that each individual cartridge be manually loaded. It is not at all unusual to observe a situation in which one or more minutes are spent loading the clip, followed by a firing session in which the magazine is depleted of cartridges in a matter of seconds. This situation quickly becomes a frustration for the sports shooter. It can also become a life-threatening situation in combat.
One solution to the problem has been the use of multiple magazines. When one magazine empties, another can be used to quickly take its place. This solution is only partially satisfactory. Magazines are fairly expensive items. They take up more space than the cartridges they contain and so add significant bulk to a cartridge belt. Furthermore, multiple magazines add excess weight to ammunition carriers. The multiple magazine solution does not remove the need for the magazines to be loaded by hand, at least in many non-military instances.
Another partial solution has been the development of large capacity magazines. Such magazines enable the shooter to continue firing over extended periods of time. However, extended periods of time are also required for reloading a large capacity magazine. Multiple large capacity magazines certainly extend the firing time and reduce the overall amount of time taken to discharge a given number of cartridges. However, the reloading time for the magazines is not reduced.
A need therefore remains for a large capacity magazine, having the attendant advantages of providing a large number of cartridges for firing but which also includes quick magazine reloading capability. This need is recognized yet not completely fulfilled by the apparatus disclosed in the following U.S. patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,014,177 to Herlach et al discloses a box magazine for automatic loading firearms. This magazine is provided with a hinged lid that permits access to the magazine interior for loading purposes. A manually retractable spring mechanism is also provided, operated by a lever mechanism such that the spring can be retracted, leaving an opening area in which cartridges can be inserted. This enables cartridges to be quickly loaded, perhaps even in groups, but no provision is disclosed for permitting bulk loading directly from a cartridge box.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,488,233 to Pelo discloses a magazine having a pivoted cover for allowing access to the magazine interior for cartridge loading purposes. The cover opens in a manner similar to that disclosed above in the Herlach reference with the exception that the cartridge biasing spring is automatically retracted as the cover is opened. Again, there is no specific provision for bulk loading of the cartridges into the access area of the magazine.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,147,208 to Nolan discloses a bulk capacity magazine arrangement. This device is comprised of a number of individual magazines mounted to a weapon for rotation about an axis substantially parallel with stacks of the loaded cartridges. Each stack can be rotated about the axis into alignment with the magazine well of the firearm. Each magazine section also includes a spring for biasing the stack of cartridges upwardly. Loading may be accomplished using a conventional clip feed arrangement by which a stack of cartridges can be fed into the individual magazine compartments. The device is somewhat bulky since the cartridges are arranged with their axes oriented radially with respect to the rotational axis of the magazine assembly. Angular spaces required between the radial columns increases overall bulk of the device. Furthermore, a continuous fire situation is not feasible in such apparatus since there is no mechanism by which cartridges in the magazine well of the weapon are biased toward the firing mechanism during rotation of the magazine assembly from an unloaded section to the next loaded section.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,345,771 to Silsby discloses a high capacity magazine which includes two substantially parallel compartments for receiving cartridges and feeding the individual cartridges to a single discharge opening. A gate mechanism is provided near the discharge opening for selectively releasing cartridges from one or the other magazine compartment. There is no disclosed provision enabling bulk loading of cartridges into the magazine. Instead, it is assumed the magazine must be loaded in the conventional manual manner, one cartridge at a time, through the single top opening of the magazine.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,227,439 to Hilgendorf discloses a cartridge magazine in which two parallel columns of cartridges are pivotably carried within a magazine compartment. The columns are pivoted in relation to the chamber of the firearm such that successive cartridges from one column can be fed toward the chamber. Then, when the first column is depleted, the second column can be pivoted into alignment to feed successive cartridges to the breech. Pivotal motion is accomplished by a leaf spring mechanism acting against the upright side of the cartridge guide. A specific mechanism is provided for enabling pivotal motion of the cartridge columns. Such mechanism involves modification of the magazine well for the weapon in order to effectively pivot the columns of cartridges to an initial, angular starting position within the weapon.
Of the above known apparatus, none includes the provision for quick loading of large or bulk quantities of ammunition into a single magazine directly from a cartridge box and in which the magazine is capable of operation to deliver the bulk quantities of cartridges to a weapon firing mechanism. No complete solution has been available, to the present applicant's knowledge, until advent of the present invention.